Thursday, April 23, 2020

COVID 19 and Visitation

Unfortunately, some hostile parents are taking advantage of
the governor’s stay-at-home orders as an excuse to not let the other parent
have his or her visits, or to not return a child after a visit.

This was wrong at the outset of the COVID 19 emergency, and
since then the courts have made it clear that it is legally wrong.

Travel to visitation for the exchange of children is
considered an “essential activity,” and all parenting plans are to be followed
(unless some new orders emerge).The
court is clear that this game-playing is not to occur.

If it does, then a motion to return the child will have to
be filed electronically, and the court will decide whether the situation is
urgent enough to schedule a telephonic hearing in the near future, or to await
a contempt of court finding, and ordering make-up time, at a later date.

These are hard times that do not need to be made harder by
parents behaving selfishly.

We are Mason Law of Spokane serving Eastern Washington with
aggressive and effective representation in Washington State divorce
proceedings, and we have already been in the thick of the COVID 19 special
procedures.Call us at 1707 West
Broadway in Spokane at (509) 443-3681 for an electronic or telephonic
appointment.